• Angola launches 260 km Benguela Railway extension linking Luena to Saurimo

• $1.16 billion project awarded to Odebrecht under national transport plans

• Link to Lobito Corridor to boost regional trade, logistics ambitions

The Angolan Ministry of Transport on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2025, launched construction of a new Benguela Railway (CFB) branch line linking Luena, in Moxico province, to Saurimo, in Lunda-Sul, over about 260 km.

Officials say the extension will improve connectivity in Angola’s under-served eastern region, boosting domestic and cross-border trade and increasing freight flows.

The $1.16 billion project has been awarded to Brazil’s Odebrecht and is part of the National Master Plan for the Transport and Road Infrastructure Sector (PDNSTIR) and the National Railway Network Extension Plan, which set investment priorities to modernise the rail system and meet rising demand for passenger and goods transport.

The new section will connect to the Lobito Corridor, a strategic regional logistics route in Southern Africa supported by partners including the United States and the European Union. By easing access between inland areas and export routes, the corridor is expected to strengthen regional competitiveness and attract investment.

Angola aims to position itself as a logistics hub for neighbouring economies, including landlocked countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, while supporting broader efforts to diversify an economy still heavily dependent on oil revenues.

Henoc Dossa